The National Merit Scholarship rewards high school students who earn outstanding scores on the PSAT. This year, two students from Florida High have qualified as National Merit semifinalists.
“First eligibility is you have to be a junior, and the second eligibility is you have to take the PSAT in October,” Student Services Director Jennifer Kinney said. “Information is shared through Dr. Crombie, who advertises and shares with juniors who are interested in taking the PSAT. Once you take the PSAT, the scores are submitted, and then it’s up to the College Board to determine from the scoring who qualifies to be considered a semifinalist.”
The two qualifying semifinalists from Florida High, based on last year’s score, are Vy Nguyen and Lillian Watters. There are many benefits from the scholarship that inspire students to work extra hard to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship.
“Honestly, I think it was mostly my mom. She really believed in me and my ability to do well on the PSAT, and just knowing how many opportunities that could go along for me if I did achieve that,” Nguyen said. “That really pushed me to not only believe in myself, but also work harder towards studying and putting in the effort to reach that goal.”
To qualify for the scholarship, students have to get the top PSAT scores, which can stress many students who aspire to earn the National Merit Scholarship. However, encouragement from family members, teachers and peers can motivate students to work towards improving their scores.
“I had to wait an entire year, from taking the PSAT to now hearing I’m a semifinalist, which was a little stressful,” Watters said.
There is still work to be done, as the semifinalists are currently applying to reach the finalist stage. From there, they can qualify for a scholarship of up to $10,000 per year.
“It opened up opportunities to go to different schools. With my National Merit Scholar designation, I was being sent full scholarship offers from a handful of schools. It helped me pay for my education,” Latin teacher Joanna Piris said.
